Another month in the books, another batch of solicitations to look at! As usual we kick things off by looking at what Dark Horse is delivering. November is a really good month for the publisher as far as actual single issue releases go. Things are changing at Dark Horse and we’ll get into that in these picks. Let’s jump into this!
10. I’m Still Not Entirely Sure What This Is
I don’t pretend to know much about Joss Whedon projects outside of whatever stuff Sarah Michelle Gellar was in. I’ve got friends who are into this so this might be worth checking out if this is your jam.
Dr. Horrible: Best Friends Forever One Shot
Joss Whedon (W), José Maria Beroy (A), Sara Soler (A), Dan Jackson (C), Fábio Moon (Cover), and Francesco Francavilla (Variant cover
On sale Nov 14
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
One-shot
Dr. Horrible is back, and he’s brought his best friend with him—Captain Hammer? The timestream has been breached, and who’s to blame, but the missus of time herself, Hourglass. But things are a bit peculiar in this seemingly present day with arch nemeses Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer teaming up! If that’s possible, what else is? Revisit the hilarity, wit, and charm of Dr. Horrible in this unbelievable story of preposterous possibilities featuring cameos from some of the series’ most horrible villains.
• Written by Joss Whedon, cult favorite Dr. Horrible returns for its 10th anniversary!
9. God Of Comics
This is another thing I don’t have a ton of personal experience with. I don’t own a PS4 myself so I’ve never played it but I’m aware of how big it is and I’m especially aware of the memes. This will probably be a big hit with fans of the game and if you’re one of those, make sure you check this out.
God of War #1 (of 4)
Chris Roberson (W), Tony Parker (A), Dan Jackson (C), and E.M. Gist (Cover)
On sale Nov 14
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
Kratos, God of War, has returned! His war on the gods of Olympus long past, Kratos builds a new life for himself in the remote Norse wilds. Seeking to put the rage that defined most of his life behind him, Kratos inadvertently sparks a feud with a mysterious cult of berserkers after attempting to save a stranger being mauled by a monstrous bear. But for the former Ghost of Sparta, no good deed goes unpunished.
• A brand-new story set in the world of Sony’s hit video game God of War!
• Over 5 million copies of the God of War game sold!
8. The Other Side
This is a really exciting idea and I’m excited to see how this story unfolds. It might be the most new reader friendly series under the “Lobster Johnson” umbrella but with Mindy Lee on art, I’ve gotta have it.
Crimson Lotus #1 (of 5)
Mike Mignola (W), John Arcudi (W), Mindy Lee (A), Michelle Madsen (C), and Tonci Zonjic (Cover)
On sale Nov 21
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
Before she became Lobster Johnson’s greatest adversary, the Crimson Lotus was a young girl whose family was caught up in the Russo-Japanese War. Thirty years later, the Lotus exacts her revenge with terrifying international effects, and two spies must try to chase her through China before they become flies in her web.
• A supernatural spy thriller featuring Lobster Johnson’s greatest foe!
7. New Originals
Dark Horse has lost the license to make Buffy comics and it’ll probably lose more with the Fox/Disney merger becoming a reality. Dark Horse is a publisher that’s thrived thanks to so many different licenses and while they’re far from shutting off the lights for good, they need hits. They need more original series and ideas. I don’t know if “Lightstep” is the next “Black Hammer” but it’s a good step to start publishing more brand new series like this.
Continued belowLightstep #1 (of 5)
Milos Slavkovic (W/A/Cover) and Dave Stewart (C)
On sale Nov 21
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
January Lee is of royal descent, part of the ruling class that lives out their lives on accelerated, “Lightstepped” worlds where a single day is a lifetime on a normal planet. But her “holy ailment,” which allows her to see the truth behind the Primogenitor’s lies, marks her for banishment to the outer worlds.
This is the beginning of a fantastic tale of alien worlds, a star-spanning empire, and rogues and rebels seeking a weapon hidden in the transmission of a radio drama from Earth thousands of years ago.
6. The One Ring To Rule Them All
The Lord of the Rings trilogy was a big deal for nerdy stuff in movie theaters. It kind of brought all that kind of fantasy stuff to the forefront of pop culture and honestly, they still hold up really, really well. I love really good art books and this looks amazing. It’s a little pricey but it seems like it might be worth it.
Middle-Earth: Journeys in Myth and Legend HC (advance solicit)
Donato Giancola (W/A/Cover)
On sale Jan 30
FC, 200 pages
$39.99
HC, 10” x 14”
Nearly 200 stunningly realistic paintings and drawings bring the greatest fantasy epic of all time to life. Classical realism unites with contemporary storytelling as artist Donato Giancola explores the mythic grandeur and the iconic characters of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings saga.
Donato has made it his life’s work to translate Tolkien’s words into compelling visuals, with gorgeous oil paintings and drawings reminiscent of Rembrandt and Caravaggio. His interpretations of Middle-earth span his entire career, from private commissions to the 2001 edition of the graphic novel adaptation of The Hobbit, all collected in this massive compendium—a must-have for collectors of Tolkien and fantasy.
• From the illustrator of George RR Martin’s 2015 A Song of Ice and Fire calendar.
“Amazing work from an astounding talent.” – George R.R. Martin
5. My Favorite Running Hellboy Work
I’ve really enjoyed these early Hellboy missions and I’m so excited that they keep giving us more. It’s all extremely my jam and I can’t wait for this to start up.
Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1956 #1 (of 5)
Mike Mignola (W), Chris Roberson (W), Yishan Li (A), Mike Norton (A), Michael Avon Oeming (A), Dave Stewart (C), and Dave Johnson (Cover)
On sale Nov 28
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
Pressure is mounting within the bureau to uncover the Soviets’ secret plans, but a suspicious cover-up leads one agent off the radar in search of answers. Meanwhile, demonic Soviet occult leader Varvara pushes her team to follow her own whims, and Hellboy is sent on the mission that led to his infamous misadventures in Mexico. But even more clandestine plots are at work—both inside the B.P.R.D. and out.
• Three Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. storylines interwoven into an espionage saga!
4. DOOM
I’ve not been quiet in this column about how much I love “Black Hammer.” We’re coming off a very big issue that turns the entire series upside down and now is the perfect time to get into this series. This is technically the third volume out but it’s the first part of the “Age of Doom” arc which is a pretty decent spot to jump in.
Continued belowBlack Hammer Volume 3: Age of Doom Part I TP (advance solicit)
Jeff Lemire (W), Dean Ormston (A/Cover), and Dave Stewart (C)
On sale Jan15
FC, 152 pages
$19.99
TP, 7”x 10”
The Eisner Award-winning superhero saga returns with this two-part mystery with lots of revelations!
Picking up immediately where we left off—Lucy Weber has become the new Black Hammer and right as she’s about to reveal to our heroes how they got stuck on the farm and can escape, she vanishes. Now our new Black Hammer finds herself trapped in a gritty world filled with punk rock detectives, emo gods, anthropomorphic humans, absurdist heroes, and many more weirdos, in mad world in which there is no escape!
Collects Black Hammer: Age of Doom #1-5.
3. Fantasy With A Refreshing Twist
I read the first issue of this series and thought it was absolutely delightful. I had high hopes and was not proven wrong. If you like comics with elements of role playing games like “Dungeons & Dragons” then this deserves your attention.
Modern Fantasy TP (advance solicit)
Rafer Roberts (W) and Kristen Gudsnuk (A/Cover)
On sale Jan 9
FC, 112 pages
$14.99
TP, 7” x 10”
A young Ranger woman who came to the city with dreams of adventure, her drug-dealing reptilian wizard roommate, and her boisterous Dwarf maiden BFF embark on a modern-day quest to save the world while struggling to keep their crappy day jobs and pay off their student loans. Joined by a thief, an elf, a cleric, and a barbarian, the ragtag group are embroiled in an adventure involving magical amulets, the mafia, and a cult! Collects issues #1-#4 of the miniseries.
“The book is new, but this world, being well-built, already feels familiar. It’s humorous and fun, with the potential to have a nice long run that will keep us interested for the foreseeable future.” –Comic Crusaders
2. I’m Still Yelling About This
“Umbrella Academy” is almost back and it’s making my heart race. It’s so close and I’m going to scream. Inject this into me immediately.
Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion #2
Gerard Way (W), Gabriel Bá (A/Cover/Variant cover), and Nick Filardi (C)
On sale Nov 7
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
As big-business interests close in on the overgrown adolescents of the Umbrella Academy, unlikely alliances are formed and two brothers head into deep space.
Also: Ballroom dancing! A Magic Eightball! Cowboys! Dollhouses! And more . . . !
• Soon to be a Netflix original series.
1. End Of The Road?
This is a movie that a lot of people hate. Initially, it was supposed to be written by William Gibson but the script wasn’t well received but people now still think about what could have been. Now we get to see that and we get to see it through the eyes of the unused script and the stellar art team of Johnnie Christmas and Tamra Bonvillain. This could also be one of the very last series we see from this line because of the Fox/Disney merger. If they’ve already ended “Buffy” then I can’t imagine them not wanting to also take this property. Are we going to see the Xenomorphs fight the Guardians of the Galaxy soon? We’ll see.
William Gibson’s Alien 3 #1
William Gibson (W), Johnnie Christmas (W/A/Cover), Tamra Bonvillain (C), and Paolo and Joe Rivera (Variant cover)
On sale Nov 7
FC, 32 pages
$3.99
Miniseries
This is the official adaptation of the original screenplay for Alien 3, written by William Gibson, the award-winning science fiction author of the cyberpunk cult classic Neuromancer. You’ll see familiar characters and places—but not all is the same in this horrifying Cold War thriller!
After the deadly events of the film Aliens, the spaceship Sulaco carrying the sleeping bodies of Ripley, Hicks, Newt, and Bishop is intercepted by the Union of Progressive Peoples. What the UPP forces don’t expect is another deadly passenger that is about to unleash chaos between two governmental titans intent on developing the ultimate Cold War weapon of mass destruction.
• Based on the original screenplay by Neuromancer’s William Gibson!
• Adaptation and art by Johnnie Christmas—co-creator of Margaret Atwood’s Angel Catbird and creator of Image Comics’ Firebug.
• Featuring some of the most famous characters in the Alien film canon: Hicks, Bishop, Newt, and Ripley.
Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments below and read the full solicitations over at Major Spoilers.
